Hey there! I'm Sarah from The Created Home, and I'm excited to share this fun project with you. Previously, I've shared a rustic outdoor chandelier, some scrap wood hearts, and a gorgeous fretwork console designed by Jen Woodhouse.
Raise your hands if you just cannot get enough Fixer Upper? You guys, I finally found a cure for the between season depression that comes when there are no new episodes. Fixer Upper inspired projects! Seriously, is that too much? Nah, I don't think so.
This Magnolia inspired laundry sign is simple to make and looks great. But I have to tell you something. Have you ever had one of those projects that should be soooo simple to do, and crazy things just keep happening? Look, I would love to tell you that in blog-land everything works like a dream and no project ever goes uncompleted or, heaven forbid, flops entirely. But, yeah, that's not the case. Sometimes things happen and you have to roll with it and turn out something unexpected.
Case in point. The font for this was supposed to be printed on a friend's cutting machine, but the letters turned out gigantically too large, and there wasn't time to recut them. Then the store I printed my new template at put it on the wrong paper. And once it was finally all done and painted my four year old ran through with a running sprinkler and hosed down my entire shop, including the freshly painted laundry sign.
Guys, I died for a bit.
But sometimes ya just gotta put on your big girl pants and make it work, Tim Gunn style. The end result was a chalkier look, as in, it really looks like a used chalkboard. Um, in the best possible way.
For this tutorial I'm going to do something a little different and show you how to create this project rather than just tell you.
How to Paint a Farmhouse Laundry Room Sign
Watch the video below and be sure to subscribe to the Remodelaholic channel on YouTube for new videos every week!
So, yeah, the chalkboard look was, admittedly, a bit accidental. But I think it works, and my mother-in-law, who is getting the sign, likes it. That's all that counts, right?!
Here's a list of the products I used in the video so you can create your own Fixer Upper inspired laundry sign. This post contains affiliate links; learn more here.
Materials
- White paint (I used this linen colored chalk paint)
- Black or gray paint (I used this charcoal chalk paint)
- paint pen
- 1/4 or 1/2 plywood 2'x4′ (if I do this again I'll use 1/2″ plywood for more stability and ease of hanging)
- hanging hardware
- Farmhouse Laundry Sign Template, printed to your custom size (easiest when taken to a print shop)
The only tool you absolutely need for this video is a sander. I mean, I guess you could hand sand, but who does that?! You will need a saw if you decide to cut the board down. A circular saw would work great.
The full details are in the video, but the gist is this: After you've cut the board to size, paint it black. Then print and cut out the template using an X-acto knife. Tape it down and carefully paint it. Then use a paint pen to draw on any other details you'd like and hang it on the wall.
I'll just reiterate that this is not a project where you need to worry about perfection. You can certainly print the letters on vinyl if you want clean lines. For a hand lettered look, however, it should not be perfect.
What do you think? Do you like the chalky look, or do you prefer cleaner lines? Have you ever had a project (or a toddler) throw you for a loop?! Hopefully this shows you not only how to create a fun sign for your laundry area, but how to roll with life's little incidents and make something fun!
Thanks for reading/watching, and don't forget to check out some of my other fun projects at www.thecreatedhome.com!
More easy Fixer Upper style farmhouse decorating DIYs:
More painted farmhouse signs + templates
Fixer Upper style projects you can make yourself
Wow! Very impressed. You did a fantastic job even with the “extra help” I’m sure your Mother in Law loved it! I know I would.